Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1899 — Another Letter From Cuba. [ARTICLE]

Another Letter From Cuba.

Company 1 on Detached Service. Cubans a Peacable People. Camp Columbia, Havana, Cuba. Jan. 10.1899. Editor Republican: Our company is now on detached duty. We left the regiment Sunday afternoon. And yesterday we began provost duty in the town of Quemados. We allow no American soldier in town without a pass and then they are not permitted to enter saloons, that is, the enlisted men are not. As yet we have had no trouble excepttome minor affairs. I helped disarm a blue coat of a bottle of booze by force and in another instance a half jagged lowa man tried to work the Cuban act on me and get into a saloon. He was attired in Cuban clothes and spoke the language but I was on to him, having seen him before. Last night he reposed in a little narrow cell down town. We are supposed to be here in Cuba to preserve order but from appearances, if the soldiers were taken from the island there would be good order. There are men in every regiment who think they must have drink and when they do get it they make trouble. If the saloons were left open and a provost placed there to preserve order and arrest all disorderly characters I believe there would be less trouble. The Cubans seem to be a very peaceable people and I do not anticipate any trouble. We are in the most beautiful country I ever saw.| [ Just as far as the eye can see one sees a gentle rolling country covered with royal palms,'date palms and other varieties of the palm. One also sees many fine orchards of bananas, oranges and pine-apples. This would surely be a fine place to live, in the winter season. It very seldom rains and one would not need to take his umbrella always for a cane on going out for a day. I had meant to write you concerning our great New Year’s celebration but the papers have been full of it. It was an [American 4th of July celebration on£a vely large scale. The display of bunting and flags of both countries was something immense. As the stars and stripes went up over Moro there was one continual deafening roar. Cannons booming, rockets bursting, bells ringing and soldiers and Cubans crying themselves hoarse. The Cubans love and adore our flag. I will mention one scene that will show their adoration of it. At one point in our parade an old, old gray haired woman was assisted to rise from her seat that she might grasp our flag and kiss its folds as it was borne past. The color bearer saw her and stopped and lowered the colors that she might reach them. A young man who may have been her son then assisted her to her seat while tears of love and joy coursed down her wrinkled cheeks. I could tell of many scenes, some pathetic and some laughable but time will not permit. Just before leaving the city we staoked arms and ate a lunch of bard-tack and beef. Some of us took the few spare minutes and looked around. One can get a good view of the interior of the houses because they are built right up to the walks and doors and windows are open. The houses in this quarter were furnished and finished in elegant style. They all open into a court filled with beautiful plants and flowers. This is a characteristic of all Spanish and Cuban honses. The caurt is sometimes in the cen-

ter of the square and all houses on the block open into it. About 2:50 P. M. we started for camp. Just at the out skirts of town we met a native funeral procession. It was of the lower class. Instead of a hearse four men carry the corpse. Two men in front and two behind, place hands on each others shoulders and the coffin is laid across. The mourners come behind on foot. In this case there were only seven or eight and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. The coffin containing this corpse may have made the trip in this manner many times before because here the poor class simply rent a coiiiu 10 curry Lue uouy to too grave. The middle class use a cheap laokiug hearse with a skull and oross bones painted on the sides. The rich use even finer hearses than one often sees in our own country. Some of us fell out on the way and came to camp on the train. It was our first car ride in Cuba. The cars are queer affairs, being very cheaply built. There is seldom more than three cars in a train and they are not any larger than some street cars. We all reached camp tired and footsore about 6 P. M.

WILBER THARP,

Co. I 1611. V. 1., Havana, Cuba.